Afghan Female Athletes "Must Live in Hiding"... FIFA "Will Step Up Support"

Concerns Over Women's Rights Suppression Following Taliban Regime Takeover
Former Women's Soccer Team Captain: "To Survive, We Must Erase Our Identity and Burn Our Uniforms"

Kalida Popal, who served as the captain of the Afghanistan women's national football team
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] As the Islamic militant group Taliban reclaims control over Afghanistan, concerns over the suppression of women's rights have arisen, with Afghan female soccer players expressing fear of future Taliban reprisals and appealing for international support.

In response, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) stated that it is "monitoring the situation" and intends to provide assistance.

According to major foreign media on the 18th (local time), former captain of the Afghan women's national soccer team, Kalida Popal, advised that to survive under Taliban rule, one should delete social media accounts and identification cards and even burn soccer equipment.

Popal, co-founder of the Afghan Women's Football Association based in Copenhagen, Denmark, said, "The Taliban have previously killed, raped, and stoned women," adding, "female soccer players are fearful about what lies ahead."

While Popal has encouraged young Afghan women to be strong and bold, after the Taliban took over Afghanistan, she has sent the opposite message, urging them to live quietly and keep a low profile.

She expressed sorrow, saying, "I am calling Afghan female soccer players to erase their identities, photos, and names for safety," and "I am even telling them to burn their national team uniforms."

Popal said that making such appeals to Afghan female soccer players is very painful because "she knows well how proud it was to wear the national team emblem on their chest and represent their country in matches."

She conveyed the desperate situation, stating that there is currently no one to help them when they are in danger and that "they live in fear of someone knocking on their door at any time."

She continued, "We are witnessing the collapse of the country," and "it seems that the pride and happiness pursued by Afghan men and women have become fleeting."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Taliban, during their rule from 1996 to 2001, strictly controlled society under Islamic Sharia law. Afghan women, in particular, were not allowed to go out without a male companion, faced restrictions on employment and various social activities, were deprived of educational opportunities, and had to wear burqas when going outside.

Meanwhile, a FIFA spokesperson expressed "concern and sympathy for all those affected by the current situation in Afghanistan," stating, "We are in contact with the Afghanistan Football Federation and related parties, are monitoring the local situation, and plan to provide relevant support."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.